A helping hand
by TheFrogMan223
Summary: One week after Ahsoka has left the order, Rex is worried about General Skywalker, who hasn't been heard from the entire week. So he goes to find him, and if possible, give him a helping hand. Friendship, not slash.


Rex was never very good at giving people emotional support. Not. At. All. But he had to try.

For the General.

One week ago ago, Ahsoka had left the order, and General Skywalker was not taking it well, in the least. He was given a two weak recovery period, as well as the 501st, so that they could, 'reorganize leadership.' Sometimes Rex wondered why General Skywalker stuck with the Jedi. Although the Clone Captain would never say anything, he was disgusted.

Not only did the other Generals accuse Ahsoka, and almost have her executed, but they barely even gave her an apology. General Skywalker had said that all Padawans went through something called a 'great trail,' as a rite of passage to become a Knight.

That was the stupid council's excuse. Not, 'Sorry, we were wrong, will you forgive us?' No. Instead, it was this bull crap: 'Sorry, but hey, it was your great trail. You can't blame us.' It was an embarrassment to the Republic... He sighed.

Rex missed Ahsoka.

He would miss the snarky remarks, the witty comebacks... He would miss one of his closest friends. She was a person that he could trust, and she trusted him. She was a good friend, she would never let you down. Ever.

Every once in a while, when he would get sick, Ahsoka would come down to the med bay with General Skywalker, and they would hang around for a bit to keep him company. But after Skywalker left, Ahsoka stayed behind, to get him a colder washcloth, or a glass of water.

Because that's the kind of person she was. It wasn't just him either, she would do the same for the General, and sometimes she would just visit the med bay to help out some of the clones she didn't even know. She was a good person like that... Was.

He shook his head. 'Don't torture yourself,' he thought. A small part of his brain said, 'Think about how the General must be feeling,' and Rex cringed. The two were like brother and sister, best friends. She was like a daughter to Anakin.

Inseparable.

Not any more. Rex just decided to stop thinking about it as he walked to Padme's home. The Captain hadn't seen Anakin for the entire week since it happened, besides the one time he gathered the 501st to give them the news. Rex was worried for the General, also one of his closer friends. So he spoke to Artoo, who said that sometimes Anakin comes down here.

Rex didn't ask questions, what the General did in his personal time was his private business.

He walked down the halls of the Senate Apartment building, his helmet held between his hip and his arm. He turned left at the second corner, and came to the door. He raised his hand and gave two crisp knocks. There was a few second's wait, before the door slid open, and Rex was greeted by the Senator.

"What do you want?"

It wasn't rude... But it was obvious she wasn't in a good mood. Ahsoka and the Senator were also friends, good ones, like Sisters...

But not quite as inseparable as they thought, it seems.

Rex sighed, he and the Nabooian had met a few times, so at least he wouldn't have had to introduce himself. "Is General Skywalker here?" He asked. Padme got ever so slightly defensive at that.

"No, why would he be here?" She asked, giving him a look. Rex shrugged.

"Look, whatever the General does on his own time is his business, is his own. But I just thought-" Rex was going to finish, but Padme cut him off.

"What are you implying? That me and Jedi Skywalker are together? Why would you say that-"

"Let him in Padme..."

Rex was happy to hear the General's voice in there. The Captain did _not _want to go searching the streets of Coruscant for the Jedi, although he would've done so if needed. Padme sighed and closed her eyes for a second, until she stepped aside and motioned for him to come in.

He did so, and saw the General sitting on the couch to the left. His shoulders sagged, his elbows were on his knees, and his head hung slightly low as he slouched on the couch. His hair was unkempt, his face was twisted up in anger and sadness. He probably hadn't eaten in a while either. He looked simply like a man that was despairing.

"Sir..." Rex started. This was starting to seem like a huge mistake. He had no idea what he was going to say, and no idea how to say it. His thoughts were cut short however, as Padme asked him a question.

"What are you doing here?"

It wasn't so grumpy anymore. She genuinely wanted to know. Why had he come? What purpose did him showing up have? Rex thought about it for a second, until he gave a small shrug.

"I... Was worried for the General," He said. Padme sat down on the couch right next to Anakin.

"And your first instinct was to come here?"

"It required a bit of asking around," Rex said. He made a move to put his helmet on the small shelf connected to the couch, but before he did, he said, "May I?" Padme nodded, and he set his helmet down. Rex took a seat on the couch opposite of them.

Now there was an awkward silence for a few moments, until Anakin looked up at him.

"Why are you here Rex?" He asked. Rex shrugged.

"I was looking for you," The Captain said.

"Why?"

"Nobody's seen or heard from you in seven days," He said. He didn't know that literally five minutes before Rex got there, Obi-Wan had finished talking to Anakin about it.

Anakin scoffed, "Yeah, well you just missed Obi-Wan," He said.

Rex thought about his next words carefully, he didn't want to anger anybody in this room.

"Sir, nobody wanted to see her go..." He started. Padme cut in once again.

"Coming from the man that helped hunt her down," She said. Rex gripped the edge of the cushion with his fists. It sucked hearing it from the Senator, but what sucked more was she was _right_.

"It... Wasn't like that," Rex said quietly. Padme didn't buy it.

"It definitely seemed like it, you clones pushed little Ahsoka all the way down to level 1313, how can you explain-"

"I TRIED TO HELP!"

Rex's outburst shocked even himself. It even aroused the protocol droid, who came in asking what the problem was. Padme told '3PO' it was alright, and turned back to the Captain, who now looked down at his boots in shame.

"I tried to help..." He repeated. He could feel both of them staring at him. "She was my friend," He said, "I would've placed my life in her hands, but she couldn't trust me to do the same for her-to HELP her. Instead I followed orders... I pushed her away."

Anakin decided to speak now, "Rex... You didn't push her away-"

"Sir, I don't want to hear it." Now this really shocked Anakin.

Rex continued, "I don't want to hear it from a guy who's been moping around for a week," He said. Padme stared at him in anger.

"Captain!"

"Please let me finish Senator... General, I came here because I was worried about your well being. Because I knew that _she _was worried for you. She wouldn't want you to sit around here moping all day! What do you think she would be telling you _right_ now?" Rex asked. Anakin closed his eyes, obviously not wanting to come up with an answer.

"I know what she would say to you," Rex said, "She would be telling you to try and get over it. To get on with your life... Which, to be honest sir, if it keeps going like it has been for the past week, isn't going anywhere," He finished.

"How do you think she'd say it?" Rex added after a moment's silence. Padme had finally calmed down, and looked at Anakin... This time, Anakin did give an answer.

"'Toughen up, Skyguy," He said slowly. Rex could practically hear Ahsoka saying it. And it made him even sadder. Rex was right... Ahsoka wouldn't want this. But how could Anakin move on? He lost his little sister, his ally, his friend. His Padawan... He couldn't move on. He couldn't... It was then that the little voice in the back of his head decided to take on the voice of Ahsoka.

'Oh come on, Master, I know you're stronger than that!' it said.

Anakin looked Rex in the eye, it was obvious the General had come to a conclusion. Anakin would never let Ahsoka go, he would more likely just adjust to her being gone... But she would never be put out of his mind.

The fact that the General still clutched her Padawan braid in his hand was proof of that.

But it was better than nothing.

"Thank you Rex," Anakin said.

...

Rex followed the General aboard the _Resolute._ The two week period had ended yesterday, and they already had a mission. The General was doing well, he was still torn up about Ahsoka, but he wasn't letting it beat him. And neither was Rex. The captain had actually bumped into once, at the docks.

She was leaving to Shili, but didn't have any money to charter a ship. Rex had given her the credits she needed, and it was the last time he figured he'd ever see her again. It was also the first time he actually shared a hug with the girl, just before she boarded the ship. It was awkward at first, and eventually she had to let him go. Before the ramp closed all the way, she told him to tell Anakin that she wouldn't forget about him.

"...She wanted you to know that she doesn't blame you, Sir. She said she wouldn't forget... She also told me to smack you every time you do something stupid for her. And that's when the ramp closed, and she left." Rex finished telling the story, as he and Anakin both walked down the Main Hall, which was the one hall that, no matter what job you had, you walked through at least once a day.

Right in the middle of it, were the names of the lost, inscribed in the metal and how they died. A memorial to all of the men who lost their lives in battle, fighting for freedom.

They almost missed the picture of Ahsoka hanging on the wall.

Rex and Anakin both stepped back to look at the memorial. Above all of the other names, inscribed in elegant writing, was the name 'Ahsoka Tano, dear friend. NEVER FORGET.'

Above it was a picture that was taken during one of the battles before she was betrayed.

She was behind cover, giving a smile to the camera as lasers flew over head. In the background you could see Rex leaping over the rubble, and Anakin deflecting lasers. But nobody cared about the background.

"Did you do this?" Anakin asked, Rex shook his head.

"I'm there in the background, I didn't even take the picture," He said.

"We did Sir," Said a voice. The two turned, and found five 501st guys... They were in Ahsoka's squad. Maverick, Shocka, Billy, Jackson, and Zero.

Maverick stepped forward, "She deserved recognition. For what she did," He said.

"She was a hero."

Anakin placed a hand on the clone's shoulder. This meant so much to him, no one would understand.

"Thank you," He said, then he turned back to the picture, "We will NEVER forget."

And they never did.


End file.
